Apparatus for forming or shaping articles from sheet material



Nov. 10, 19 5. 1,561,312

I A. E. CUTLER ET AL APPARATUS FOR FORMING 0R SHAPING ARTICLES FROM SHEET MATERIAL Filed Feb. 20. 1925 Q/NHMLMJ wf wcfaiw WQQLNW M IOMIWM Patented Nov. 10,1925.

UNITED STATES 15 1312 PATENT oF'F-icE;

ARTHUR EDWARD CUTLER AIjTD PHILIP ALLAN MARSDEN, F NEWCASTLE,

' AUSTRALIA. i

APPARATUS FOR FORMING OR SHAPING ARTICLES FROM SHEET MATERIAL.

Application flled February '20, 1925. Serial m. 10,524.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR EDWARD CUTLER and PHILIP ALLAN MARSDEN, both British subjects, and both residing at Walsh Island, Newcastle, in the State of New South 'Wales, Commonwealthof Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to the Apparatusfor Forming or Shaping Articles from Sheet Material, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method and apparatusof forming or shaping articles made from sheet material such as metal,

leather, plastic or fibrous materials, or othel substance capable ofbeing so formed, by fluid pressure which forces the sheet; into or onto a die or the like which may have a recess or cavity of the shape to be imparted to the sheet, or may be a partial or com posite die or a frame or open topped struc ture comprising an upper ring or other sh ped support toggrip the work sheet in a glelding manner, in which frame the pres sure will act radially and symmetrically outwards.

In this method of forming orshaping articles as hitherto practised a flexible container or bag has been employed and the fluid pressure admitted thereinto; or alternatively a flexiblesheet was interposed be- .tween the fluid pressure and the sheet to be shaped, The containeror bag and the flexible sheet were both liable to sustain 35 damage and perhaps fail at a critical stage; also the said bag or sheet could not be forcedinto sharp corners, and were costly and difficult to operate, the practicable pres- .sure and therefore the range of manufacture being limited by the strength of the bag or sheet; Furthermore, deep articles such as stew-pans and'washing boilers could not be 'formed by a single pressing operation in this way, several successive pressing operations being necessary.

According to the resent invention the fluid-pressure, (which ex ression is in tended to include pressure y gases or vapours as well as pressure by liqu ds such as 0 water, oil, mercury, tar, sp1r1ts,,l1qu1d compositions or 'liquidcement) is applied directly'through a chambered or other block to one side of the work sheet without the interposition or employment of a flexible bag or sheet, and a grummet or packing piece is employed at the joint or meeting edges of the die and block, which may be for example. a closed ring of rubber tubing, or in some cases may be leather or-other flexible material of U section with the opening facing inwardly, and the block may be grooved or recessed to accommodate this the block be close to the underside of the work sheet the pressure when first admitted .will immediately lift up the part of the work sheet opposite the pressure admission opening, so that the pressure will then be evenly distributed over the underside of the work sheet.

The form-ing die and block are arranged :to be movable in relation to each other so that the sheet to be operated upon may be inserted and the finished article'removed.

Means of any known or suitable typecan be provided for moving one of the parts and for holding the parts in operative position and in proper relation and register. when the work sheet has been inserted. Such means must obviously be capable of resisting the fluid pressure. The opposing holding surfaces between the die and block, which inay be termed ironingsurfaces, or one of these surfaces, should usually be supported in a manner which will permit of some resiliency between them, so-that although the work sheet. is held between them with sufficient tightness, the edges of the 'work sheet can creep or slip inwardly when the pressure is applied, instead of being drawn thinner so that the thickness of the article made becomes uneven.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described more 'fully with reference to the accompanying diagrams, which illustrate an embodiment of the-inventionas one example of the many ways in which it can be put in practice, and

in which pressure.

Figure 1 represents in section a block and die with a sheet of material ready to be pressed.

Figure 2 represents in section the same parts with the material pressed to the shape of the die.

A indicates the block, which is formed with a pressure chamber B, around which chamber is a groove C. An opening D in the block communicates with a suitable pipe (not shown) connected with a source of fluid Such pipe may be branched and have on one branch a valve controlling the admission of the fluid under pressure, and on the other branch a valve which on being opened allows the said fluid to escape or be Withdrawn. E indicates the die, which is provided with an air relief duct F, and G indicates the sheet material under operation. A. ring H of flexible material such as a closed rubber tube is fitted in the groove C. The sheet material is exposed to pressure from its underside, the extent .of which pressure and the time during which it is applied will of course vary according tocircumstances, such as the strength or thickness'and the physical characteristics of the material under treatment. The packing ring will alter in shape during the pressing operation more or less in the manner represented in Figure 2. The shaping operation obviously causes compression of the material treated where a die is used, and may either cause compression or expansion of certain parts of the material where the die is replaced by an open-topped frame.

Although we have illustrated the die as being placed abov the block, as this position will usually be the most convenient one, the relative positions of the die and block are immaterial; the ironing surfaces of the die may for instance be vertical, that is, the die may be alongside the block instead of above it.

The invention is applicable to the manufacture of a great variety of articles, for example, saucepan lids, felt hats, fibre trunks, motor-car bodies andmud-guards, embossed leather articles, ceiling ornaments, embossed advertisements, name plates for street-corners, number-plates for motor vehicles. In the latter class of applications the die may be made of several pieces, interchangeable and relatively adjustable in order to facilitate the arrangement of the printing characters. The die' may be concave, convex, or corrugated, and may be adapted to incorporate in the work sheet reinforcing or ornamental substances, as in the manufacture of reinforced cement blocks in the manufacture of felt hats with silk facings, or to strengthen dentures with metal stiffeners.

What We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is An apparatus for shaping articles from sheet material comprising a die member, a block having a pressure chamber, said die member and block adapted to yieldingly secure the sheet material between them, means for admitting fluid pressure to said chamber to act directly on one side of the sheet material, said block having a groove at the edge adjacent the ressure chamber, and a closed flexible tubu ar gasket fitting in said groove and adapted to be subjected to the action of a fluid pressure and to have its contour altered by said pressure to maintain a sealing action against the sheet material and prevent leakage of the fluid pressure.

ARTHUR EDWARD CUTLER. PHILIP ALLAN MARSDEN. 

